There are some comparisons between the new and old TS-E 24mm further down the page. Suffice to say, that as a manual focus 24mm lens, the new version is absolutely superb. We've got the new TS-E 17mm and have several tests of this excellent lens.

However a comment via Canon Germany points to prices of 2399 euro for the 17mm and 2099 euro for the 24mm, and that's including 19% VAT - quite a bit less than the prices in the UK press release. - Ready in April too...

According to a German online dealer the lens will be available in April

Press Information (both lenses)

Amstelveen, the Netherlands, 18 February, 2009: Canon today announces the launch of two new tilt and shift lenses, the Ultra-Wide angle TS-E 17mm f/4L and the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, an upgrade to the popular TS-E 24mm f/3.5L.

Canon was the first company to offer 35mm camera users a combined tilt and shift lens, With 36 years experience in this field, Canon has now added a new unique functionality to the TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, allowing users to rotate the direction of the tilt and shift independently of each other.

This affords greater control over the focal plane, replicating the movements of a large format view camera. Canon’s revolutionary tilt and shift revolving mechanism is particularly useful when shooting product shots from a perspective where specific framing and focal plane is required.

The new lenses, influenced by feedback from professional photographers, have been created to produce the best image quality with high resolution, high contrast and low distortion.

The use of high-precision asphercial front elements keeps distortion, common in wide angle lenses, to an absolute minimum, even at the edges of the frame. The TS-E 17mm f/4L and TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II also feature multiple UD elements to reduce chromatic aberration and optimised focus mechanisms.

Canon today has also introduced a new range (52mm to 72mm) of versatile, multi-functional PL-C B polarizing filters to help reduce reflections from glass or water or darken blue skies. The PL-C B’s, which are now available in 52mm, 58mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm filter thread sizes, also allows the lens cap to be attached to the lens to prevent damage to the filter if left attached when not in use.